Just take my word

Do you have a notepad? Go get a notepad. Seriously. I'll wait.

Now write down these two things because they are going to make you very happy.

1.) Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. It won the National Book Award this year and it is so brilliant and moving and heartfelt and just plain awesome that I want to run away with it and live in exquisite, illicit bliss with it forever. Seriously great novel. Oh, and rent Man on Wire first. Once you read the book, this will make sense.



2.) Crazy Heart. Everyone knows you can't run away with a book and live in exquisite, illicit bliss. But, Jeff Bridges? He could work out nicely. If any part of you has ever liked country music, not the big-haired, spangly crap, but the Townes Van Zandt-Johnny Cash-Waylon Jennings kind of country music, go see this movie. Or, hell, go anyway. It's good.


Now you have a lot to do this weekend, so go. Go.

I am not the Biggest Loser. I am only a medium loser.

I'm HERE today. The new gig requires that I sit on the couch for two hours every Tuesday night watching reality TV and taking notes. The eating chocolate pudding* while I do it part is entirely my own idea.

*If you comment on the TV.com site, chocolate pudding will appear in your life within 24 hours. Do NOT pass up this opportunity. Comment now!

She can do it!

Maggie has been working on this for months, years really. And now she can cross the monkey bars all by herself, just like a real girl. Oh the years of competition and broken arms we have ahead of us. The lying flat on her back in the tan bark, unable to catch her breath.

I am so proud. But she is really the proud one. When she hops off at the end of those five bars, her pink smiling cheeks glow like the skin of a bubble gum bubble.

Oh, Mags. You break my heart a thousand different ways.

Everything I've been meaning to tell you

Nice of Rambo to help with the lights, don't you think?

There were so many, many things I wanted to tell you while I was on my blogging hiatus.

I wanted to tell you about Ollie deciding that Leon Redbone is his favorite singer (based on a Christmas compilation album we listened to ad nauseum in the car).

I wanted to tell you about the Mister having to put together the ginormous play kitchen Maggie received from our former nanny and how, I really, really hate the way it looks in my living room, this big piece of green and beige plastic as big as a love seat.

I wanted to tell you that Oliver has decided he's going to be a writer when he grows up and that we are going to share an office (swoon).

I wanted to tell you about how Maggie just says, "I'll try it when I'm a teenager," when she doesn't want to taste a new food.

Oh, and and I was going to gush about the amazing new home decor shop I discovered in Hayes Valley. And how I just really want to move in. I could sleep on the pile of felt rugs in the back and be happy forever.

And, speaking of home decor, I'd be remiss if I hadn't mentioned my new silver Christmas pouf, aka: best Christmas gift of 2009.

And I wanted to make list of all the vendors I loved at the Renegade Craft Fair.

And I wanted to admit the fact that I always get sick of having a Christmas tree about a week after we get one (too big, too many needles).

I was going to transcribe this conversation:

Oliver: Mom, how good are you?

Me: I'm good, Ollie. How good are you?

Oliver (in laid back surfer voice): I'm good. I am definitely real good.

I wanted to tell you about how Maggie fell in love with Santa and how she is in the Christmas photos of at least three other families because I could not detach her from his side.

Oh, and the Nutcracker. How my kids sat through the entire thing and Ollie said, "I loved Clara because she was so beautiful when she danced in the snow," and how my heart just about died.

But now, here I am finally blogging again and I feel as if I have nothing to say. Isn't that always the way?